Liquid purifying apparatus



G. MAY ET AL Dec. 5, 1967 LIQUID PURIFYING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 3, 1954 i l I I 470 M emw L ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,356,295 LIQUID PURIFYING APPARATUS Geoffrey May, Gerrards Cross, and Reginald Ralph Cox, Pinner, England, assignors to Alfa-Laval A.B. Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 394,679

Claims priority, application Great Britain, Sept. 13, 1963,

36,160/ 63 2 Claims. (Cl. 233-11) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Liquid purifying apparatus operable to continuously discharge the heavier of two liquid components during the centrifuging of a mixture. A chamber is arranged to receive the lighter component and to hold the same under a partial vacuum for boiling off volatile substances con tained therein, seal means being provided for isolating this chamber from an outlet through which the heavier component is discharged.

This invention relates to liquid purifying apparatus and method of using same.

It has been proposed to purify oil containing water by subjecting the two liquid components to a centrifuging process during which the free water is separated from the oil and then passing the partially purified oil to a chamber which is held at a vacuum and temperature such that water dissolved in the oil is boiled away. Periodically, rotation of the centrifuge bowl is stopped in order to enable removal of the separated-out free water, which being the heavier liquid component collects in proximity to the bowl wall. In consequence, the extraction process is not a continuously operating one.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing a liquid containing two liquid components, one component being heavier than the other, comprising a centrifuge for centrifuging in its bowl the liquid so as to separate the two liquid components from each other, a chamber for receiving directly said centrifuged lighter liquid component as it leaves the centrifuge and adapted to be held under a partial vacuum whereby any volatile substance contained in the centrifuged lighter liquid component can be boiled off, and means for continuously discharging the separated out heavier liquid component from the apparatus during centrifuging.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing a liquid containing two liquid components, one component being heavier than the other, comprising a centrifuge for centrifuging in its bowl the liquid so as to separate the two liquid components from each other, a chamber for receiving directly said centrifuged lighter liquid component as it leaves the centrifuge and adapted to be held under a partial vacuum for boiling off any volatile substance contanied in the centrifuged lighter liquid component, an outlet for said heavier liquid component, and means providing a seal between the chamber and the outlet whereby the separated out heavier liquid component can be continuously discharged from the apparatus during centrifugmg.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of processing a liquid containing two liquid components, one component being heavier than the other comprising centrifuging in a centrifuge bowl the liquid so as to separate the two liquid components from each other, subjecting the centrifuged lighter liquid component directly it leaves the centrifuge to a partial vacuurn to boil off any volatile substance contained in it, and

continuously discharging the separated outheavier liquid component from the apparatus during centrifuging.

Further features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of embodiments thereof, given by way of example, in conjunction with the accompanying single figure of drawing, which discloses a centrifuge structure affording the continuous discharge of free water.

Referring to the drawing, the centrifuge has a standard separation bowl 1 located in a chamber 2. Outwardly of this chamber is a collector housing 3 for oil discharged from the bowl wherein the free water has been removed, said housing being surrounded by an annular heating chamber (not shown). This chamber can be heated in any suitable way. For example, vertical electrical heating rods could be utilized; alternatively steam heating coils could be used.

The arrangement permits the free water to be continuously discharged from the bowl whilst the bowl is rotating and whilst the partially purified oil is passed from the bowl to the collector housing.

In this case, the bowl used is a standard purifying disc type bowl having a central inlet 12, through which the dirty oil flows from the pipe 8 into the bowl, an annular outlet 13, surrounding said inlet, for the partially purified oil and another annular outlet (not shown) for the free water.

A cover 14 is provided for the chamber 2 and makes, seal tight engagement with a circular inner wall 16 of the collector housing. Bolts 17 hold the cover 14 in position.

Pressed into the cover 14- is a seal 18. This seal has a casing 19 within which is positioned an annular bearing member 20 carrying a sealing ring 21 in contact with the casing. The bearing member is biased upwardly by springs 22 to an uppermost position determined by an inwardly extending lip 23 of the casing. The seal is, of course, stationary with the cover and collector housing.

Mounted on the outer wall of the outlet for partially purified oil is a seal 24 which comprises a casing 25 carrying a sealing ring 26. This ring so engages the outlet wall as to rotate with that wall, which itself rotates with the bowl; the casing 25 makes rotary movement with the ring.

The bearing member 20 in being biased upwardly makes engagement with the casing 25 and hence the engaged surfaces, which are, in fact, metal, make relative rotary movement. It is at these surfaces that a vacuum tight seal is provided so that the collector housing is effectively pressure isolated from the space 27 defined in the cover 14. The separated out free water is discharged into this space and let therefrom via a pipe 28 extending through the wall 16 of the collector housing to atmosphere.

The seal 24 is held in position by a disc 29 which is secured by screws to the bowl and which has a number of circumferentially space-d holes 30 through which the partly purified oil from the outlet passage 13 emerges in streams into the collector housing therein, as explained, to be atomized and the dissolved moisture evaporated out.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for processing a liquid containing two liquid components one of which is heavier than the other, comprising centrifuge means for centrifuging the liquid so as to separate the two liquid components from each other, said centrifuge means including a centrifuge rotor mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, said rotor having at its upper end a vertical inlet pipe coaxial with said axis of rotation, and an outlet pipe arranged concentrically about said inlet pipe to define an annular first outlet passage for the lighter liquid com- 3 4 ponent, said rotor containing also a second outlet said sealing member, and resilient means biasing for discharging the heavier liquid component; said sealing member toward seating engagement with a stationary inner housing containing an annular inner said seat means.

chamber concentrically arranged about said rotor 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said outlet and in communication with said second outlet, said pipe includes at its upper end an external annular flange inner housing containing :a third outlet for continudefining said seat means; the cooperating sealing surfaces ously discharging the heavier liquid component from of said flange and said sealing member being of metal. said inner chamber; a stationary outer heated housing containing an outer References Cited vacuum chamber concentrically arranged about said UNITED STATES PATENTS inner chamber and in constant communication with 10 said first outlet for receiving directly the centrifuged 2 22 8/1939 Mann 233*21 lighter component, whereby to boil off any volatile Z405 8/1946 Storer 277 38 substance contained in the lighter component; and 2790598 4/ 1957 Beskow sealing means arranged between said inner housing and x 5? 4 Schultz 277 87 X said centrifuge means for isolating said inner cham- 29 her from the outer chamber to permit the continuous discharge of the heavier liquid component during FOREIGN PATENTS centrifuging, said sealing means including an annular sealing member arranged concentrically about said 20 13O752 11/1959 Russla' outlet pipe and mounted for axial sliding movement relative to said inner housing, said outlet pipe includ- HENRY KLINKSIEK Pllmary Examiner ing scat means arranged for sealing engagement by M. CARY NELSON, in r- 

1. APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING LIQUID CONTAINING TWO LIQUID COMPONENTS ONE OF WHICH IS HEAVIER THAN THE OTHER, COMPRISING CENTRIFUGE MEANS FOR CENTRIFUGING THE LIQUID SO AS TO SEPARATE THE TWO LIQUID COMPONENTS FROM EACH OTHER, SAID CENTRIFUGE MEANS INCLUDING A CENTRIFUGE ROTOR MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, SAID ROTOR HAVING AT ITS UPPER END A VERTICAL INLET PIPE COAXIAL WITH SAID AXIS OF ROTATION, AND AN OUTLET PIPE ARRANGED CONCENTRICALLY ABOUT SAID INLET PIPE TO DEFINE AN ANNULAR FIRST OUTLET PASSAGE FOR THE LIGHTER LIQUID COMPONENT, SAID ROTOR CONTAINING ALSO A SECOND OUTLET FOR DISCHARGING THE HEAVIER LIQUID COMPONENT; A STATIONARY INNER HOUSING CONTAINING AN ANNULAR INNER CHAMBER CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED ABAOUT SAID ROTOR AND IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SECOND OUTLET, SAID INNER HOUSING CONTAINING A THIRD OUTLET FOR CONTINUOUSLY DISCHARGING THE HEAVIER LIQUID COMPONENT FROM SAID INNER CHAMBER; A STATIONARY OUTER HEATED HOUSING CONTAINING AN OUTER VACUUM CHAMBER CONCENTRICALLY ARRANGED ABOUT SAID INNER CHAMBER AND IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH SAID FIRST OUTLET FOR RECEIVING DIRECTLY THE CENTRIFUGED LIGHTER COMPONENT, WHEREBY TO BOIL OFF ANY VOLATILE SUBSTANCE CONTAINED IN THE LIGHTER COMPONENT; AND SEALING MEANS ARRANGED BETWEEN SAID INNER HOUSING AND SAID CENTRIFUGE MEANS FOR ISOLATING SAID INNER CHAMBER FROM THE OUTER CHAMBER TO PERMIT THE CONTINUOUS DISCHARGE OF THE HEAVIER LIQUID COMPONENT DURING CENTRIFUGING, SAID SEALING MEANS INCLUDING AN ANNULAR SEALING MEMBER ARRANGED CONCENTRICALLY ABOUT SAID OUTLET PIPE MOUNTED FOR AXIAL SLIDING MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID INNER HOUSING, SAID OUTLET PIPE INCLUDING SEAT MEANS ARRANGED FOR SEALING ENGAGEMENT BY SAID SEALING MEMBER, AND RESILIENT MEANS BIASING SAID SEALING MEMBER TOWARD SEATING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SEAT MEANS. 